Earth Science
Water on Earth
Importance of Oceans
Study Tip
The large amount of biomass in the oceans produces a lot of food through organisms and oxygen through marine plants.
Oceans Moderate Climate
The oceans distribute heat evenly around the planet.
They absorb heat at the equator and then move it away to more polar regions.
The temperatures on our planet range from -70 °C to 55 °C.
This range is only 125 °C because the ocean helps to distribute heat around the globe.
Study Tip
The large amount of biomass in the oceans produces a lot of food through organisms and oxygen through marine plants.
Biological Importance
The ocean is a major component of the water cycle, as most evaporation occurs in the oceans, and most precipitation lands in them.
Marine life makes up the majority of the Earth’s
biomass,
or the total mass of living organisms in a given area.
Many marine organisms such as the Polar Bears rely on the ocean as an ecosystem.
Concept Check
How do the oceans circulate and regulate heat around the planet?
Which processes do the oceans play a large role in?
What is biomass? What kinds of things make up biomass?